System and method for connecting virtual networks in a branch site to clouds

ABSTRACT

The present technology is directed to controlling and managing resources both in Software-Defined Cloud Interconnect (SDCI) providers and cloud service providers via a single network controller and further connecting virtual networks in a branch site to virtual networks in the cloud service providers. A network controller can establish a network gateway in an SDCI provider, establish a cross-connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCI provider and one or more clouds, group one or more virtual networks in the one or more clouds and one or more virtual networks in a branch site into a tag, and establish a connection between the one or more virtual networks in the one or more clouds and the one or more virtual networks in the branch site using the tag.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/377,315 filed on Jul. 15, 2021, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 63/172,211 filed on Apr. 8, 2021, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter of this disclosure relates in general to the field ofcomputer networking, and more particularly, to systems and methods forcontrolling and managing resources both in Software-Defined CloudInterconnect (SDCI) providers and cloud service providers via a networkcontroller and connecting virtual networks in a branch site to virtualnetworks in the cloud service providers.

BACKGROUND

Enterprises have been adopting business-critical and other cloudapplications in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) andInfrastructure as a service (IaaS). As the traditional wide-area network(WAN) cannot handle an explosion of traffic accessing cloud-basedapplications, enterprises have turned to a Software-Defined Wide AreaNetwork (SD-WAN), which is a virtual WAN architecture that providesconnectivity, management, and services between data centers and remotebranches or cloud instance. However, as businesses have widely adoptedmulti-cloud environments, managing and controlling various networkproviders and multiple connections between a branch site to clouds havebecome complicated and time-consuming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments of the present application are described indetail below with reference to the following figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a high-level network architecture inaccordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a network topology in accordance withsome examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a diagram showing the operation of aprotocol for managing an overlay network in accordance with someexamples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example diagram of an integrated workflow toestablish a site-to-site connection between clouds and a branch site inaccordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example display of a dashboard for managingend-to-end connectivity in accordance with some examples of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example display of an interconnect global settingstage in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example display of a tag stage in accordance withsome examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example display of a stage for creating andmanaging interconnect gateway in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example display of a stage for creating andconfiguring connectivity between an SDCI provider and a cloud serviceprovider in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example diagram of a workflow for connecting anSDCI provider and a cloud service provider in accordance with someexamples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of a method for controlling and managingresources both in SDCI providers and cloud service providers via asingle network controller and further connecting virtual networks in abranch site to virtual networks in the cloud service providers inaccordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 shows an example computing system, which can be for example anycomputing device that can implement components of the system.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example network device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the disclosure are discussed in detail below.While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understoodthat this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that other components and configurationsmay be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.Thus, the following description and drawings are illustrative and arenot to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are describedto provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, incertain instances, well-known or conventional details are not describedin order to avoid obscuring the description. References to one or anembodiment in the present disclosure can be references to the sameembodiment or any embodiment; and, such references mean at least one ofthe embodiments.

Reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in thespecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment,nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of otherembodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may beexhibited by some embodiments and not by others.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in thespecific context where each term is used. Alternative language andsynonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein,and no special significance should be placed upon whether or not a termis elaborated or discussed herein. In some cases, synonyms for certainterms are provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not excludethe use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in thisspecification including examples of any terms discussed herein isillustrative only, and is not intended to further limit the scope andmeaning of the disclosure or of any example term. Likewise, thedisclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in thisspecification.

Without intent to limit the scope of the disclosure, examples ofinstruments, apparatus, methods and their related results according tothe embodiments of the present disclosure are given below. Note thattitles or subtitles may be used in the examples for convenience of areader, which in no way should limit the scope of the disclosure. Unlessotherwise defined, technical and scientific terms used herein have themeaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art towhich this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, the presentdocument, including definitions will control.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forthin the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or can be learned by practice of the herein disclosedprinciples. The features and advantages of the disclosure can berealized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinationsparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and otherfeatures of the disclosure will become more fully apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims, or can be learned by thepractice of the principles set forth herein.

As emerging technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT)become more closely integrated with clouds, enterprises have anincreasing need to integrate the cloud with enterprise branches. Toovercome the challenges of securely connecting to cloud deployments inSD-WAN, an SDCI platform has been developed to enable cloudinterconnects to connect enterprise SD-WAN sites to the cloud. ASoftware-Defined Cloud Interconnect (SDCI) can provide an optimized toolfor directly and securely interconnecting clouds, networks, and internetservice providers. Using SDCI, users (e.g., enterprises) can controlover routing, switching, and security of every connection withoutdeploying an individual network appliance for each tenant.

However, as businesses have widely adopted multi-cloud environments,managing and controlling various network providers and multipleconnections between a branch site to clouds have become complicated andtime-consuming. In some cases, users have to access different portals toestablish connectivity between cloud resources and their on-premises (orbranch) network using multiple SDCI providers. Therefore, there exists aneed for an orchestrator (e.g., network controller) that can dynamicallycontrol and manage resources both in SDCI providers and cloud serviceproviders. There is also a strong need for a single integrated workflowfor a user to configure a connection between a branch site and a cloud.

The present technology includes systems, methods, and computer-readablemedia for solving these problems and discrepancies, among others. Insome examples, systems, methods, and computer-readable media areprovided for dynamically controlling and managing resources in both SDCIproviders and cloud service providers using a network controller.

Overview

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided forcontrolling and managing resources both in SDCI providers and cloudservice providers via a network controller and connecting virtualnetworks in a branch site to virtual networks in the cloud serviceproviders.

According to at least one example of the present technology, a networkcontroller can establish a network gateway in an SDCI provider,establish a cross-connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCIprovider and one or more clouds, group one or more virtual networks inthe one or more clouds and one or more virtual networks in a branch siteinto a tag, and establish a connection between the one or more virtualnetworks in the one or more clouds and the one or more virtual networksin the branch site using the tag. Also, the network controller canstandardize parameters associated with the SDCI provider. The parametersdetermining attributes of the network gateway can include a softwareimage, a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) autonomous system number (ASN), asize of a virtual network, and an interconnect transit color.

Furthermore, the one or more virtual networks in the one or more cloudsand the one or more virtual networks in the branch site can be groupedinto the tag based on one or more characteristics associated with theone or more virtual networks in the one or more clouds and the one ormore virtual networks in the branch site.

The connection between the one or more virtual networks in the one ormore clouds and the one or more virtual networks in the branch site canbe based on the cross-connectivity between the network gateway in theSDCI provider and the one or more clouds.

The connection between the one or more virtual networks in the one ormore clouds and the one or more virtual networks in the branch site canbe based on an automated BGP routing configuration.

The cross-connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCI providerand the one or more clouds and the connection between the one or morevirtual networks in the one or more clouds and the one or more virtualnetworks in the branch site can be via an application programminginterface (API).

A system for establishing a site-to-site connection between a branchsite and a cloud service provider can include one or more processors andat least one computer-readable storage medium storing instructionswhich, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one ormore processors to establish a network gateway in an SDCI provider,establish a cross-connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCIprovider and one or more clouds, group one or more virtual networks inthe one or more clouds and one or more virtual networks in a branch siteinto a tag, and establish a connection between the one or more virtualnetworks in the one or more clouds and the one or more virtual networksin the branch site using the tag.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereininstructions which, when executed by one or more processors, can causethe one or more processors to establish a network gateway in an SDCIprovider, establish a cross-connectivity between the network gateway inthe SDCI provider and one or more clouds, group one or more virtualnetworks in the one or more clouds and one or more virtual networks in abranch site into a tag, and establish a connection between the one ormore virtual networks in the one or more clouds and the one or morevirtual networks in the branch site using the tag.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network architecture 100 forimplementing aspects of the present technology. An example of animplementation of the network architecture 100 is the Cisco® SD-WANarchitecture. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understandthat, for the network architecture 100 and any other system discussed inthe present disclosure, there can be additional or fewer components insimilar or alternative configurations. The illustrations and examplesprovided in the present disclosure are for conciseness and clarity.Other examples may include different numbers and/or types of elementsbut one of ordinary skill the art will appreciate that such variationsdo not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

In this example, the network architecture 100 can comprise anorchestration plane 102, a management plane 120, a control plane 130,and a data plane 140. The orchestration plane 102 can assist in theautomatic on-boarding of edge network devices 142 (e.g., switches,routers, etc.) in an overlay network. The orchestration plane 102 caninclude one or more physical or virtual network orchestrator appliances104. The network orchestrator appliance(s) 104 can perform the initialauthentication of the edge network devices 142 and orchestrateconnectivity between devices of the control plane 130 and the data plane140. In some embodiments, the network orchestrator appliance(s) 104 canalso enable communication of devices located behind Network AddressTranslation (NAT). In some embodiments, physical or virtual Cisco®SD-WAN vBond appliances can operate as the network orchestratorappliance(s) 104.

The management plane 120 can be responsible for central configurationand monitoring of a network. The management plane 120 can include one ormore physical or virtual network management appliances 122. In someembodiments, the network management appliance(s) 122 can providecentralized management of the network via a graphical user interface toenable a user to monitor, configure, and maintain the edge networkdevices 142 and links (e.g., Internet transport network 160, MPLSnetwork 162, 4G/LTE network 164) in an underlay and overlay network. Thenetwork management appliance(s) 122 can support multi-tenancy and enablecentralized management of logically isolated networks associated withdifferent entities (e.g., enterprises, divisions within enterprises,groups within divisions, etc.). Alternatively, or in addition, thenetwork management appliance(s) 122 can be a dedicated networkmanagement system for a single entity. In some embodiments, physical orvirtual Cisco® SD-WAN vManage appliances can operate as the networkmanagement appliance(s) 122.

The control plane 130 can build and maintain a network topology and makedecisions on where traffic flows. The control plane 130 can include oneor more physical or virtual network controller appliance(s) 132. Thenetwork controller appliance(s) 132 can establish secure connections toeach network device 142 and distribute route and policy information viaa control plane protocol (e.g., Overlay Management Protocol (OMP)(discussed in further detail below), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF),Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS), Border GatewayProtocol (BGP), Protocol-Independent Multicast (PIM), Internet GroupManagement Protocol (IGMP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP),Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Bidirectional Forwarding Detection(BFD), Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), etc.). In someembodiments, the network controller appliance(s) 132 can operate asroute reflectors. The network controller appliance(s) 132 can alsoorchestrate secure connectivity in the data plane 140 between and amongthe edge network devices 142. For example, in some embodiments, thenetwork controller appliance(s) 132 can distribute crypto keyinformation among the network device(s) 142. This can allow the networkto support a secure network protocol or application (e.g., InternetProtocol Security (IPSec), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Shell(SSH), etc.) without Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and enable scalabilityof the network. In some embodiments, physical or virtual Cisco® SD-WANvSmart controllers can operate as the network controller appliance(s)132.

The data plane 140 can be responsible for forwarding packets based ondecisions from the control plane 130. The data plane 140 can include theedge network devices 142, which can be physical or virtual networkdevices. The edge network devices 142 can operate at the edges variousnetwork environments of an organization, such as in one or more datacenters or colocation centers 150, campus networks 152, branch officenetworks 154, home office networks 154, and so forth, or in the cloud(e.g., Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS),SaaS, and other cloud service provider networks). The edge networkdevices 142 can provide secure data plane connectivity among sites overone or more WAN transports, such as via one or more Internet transportnetworks 160 (e.g., Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), cable, etc.), MPLSnetworks 162 (or other private packet-switched network (e.g., MetroEthernet, Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), etc.), mobilenetworks 164 (e.g., 3G, 4G/LTE, 5G, etc.), or other WAN technology(e.g., Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Synchronous DigitalHierarchy (SDH), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), or otherfiber-optic technology; leased lines (e.g., T1/E1, T3/E3, etc.); PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN), Integrated Services Digital Network(ISDN), or other private circuit-switched network; small apertureterminal (VSAT) or other satellite network; etc.). The edge networkdevices 142 can be responsible for traffic forwarding, security,encryption, quality of service (QoS), and routing (e.g., BGP, OSPF,etc.), among other tasks. In some embodiments, physical or virtualCisco® SD-WAN vEdge routers can operate as the edge network devices 142.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a network topology 200 showing variousaspects of the network architecture 100. The network topology 200 caninclude a management network 202, a pair of network sites 204A and 204B(collectively, 204) (e.g., the data center(s) 150, the campus network(s)152, the branch office network(s) 154, the home office network(s) 156,cloud service provider network(s), etc.), and a pair of Internettransport networks 160A and 160B (collectively, 160). The managementnetwork 202 can include one or more network orchestrator appliances 104,one or more network management appliance 122, and one or more networkcontroller appliances 132. Although the management network 202 is shownas a single network in this example, one of ordinary skill in the artwill understand that each element of the management network 202 can bedistributed across any number of networks and/or be co-located with thesites 204. In this example, each element of the management network 202can be reached through either transport network 160A or 160B. Moreover,in other examples, the network topology 200 can include a differentnumber of network sites, transport networks, devices, and/ornetworks/components than those shown in FIG. 2 .

Each site can include one or more endpoints 206 connected to one or moresite network devices 208. The endpoints 206 can include general purposecomputing devices (e.g., servers, workstations, desktop computers,etc.), mobile computing devices (e.g., laptops, tablets, mobile phones,etc.), wearable devices (e.g., watches, glasses or other head-mounteddisplays (HMDs), ear devices, etc.), and so forth. The endpoints 206 canalso include Internet of Things (IoT) devices or equipment, such asagricultural equipment (e.g., livestock tracking and management systems,watering devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), etc.); connected carsand other vehicles; smart home sensors and devices (e.g., alarm systems,security cameras, lighting, appliances, media players, HVAC equipment,utility meters, windows, automatic doors, door bells, locks, etc.);office equipment (e.g., desktop phones, copiers, fax machines, etc.);healthcare devices (e.g., pacemakers, biometric sensors, medicalequipment, etc.); industrial equipment (e.g., robots, factory machinery,construction equipment, industrial sensors, etc.); retail equipment(e.g., vending machines, point of sale (POS) devices, Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) tags, etc.); smart city devices (e.g., streetlamps, parking meters, waste management sensors, etc.); transportationand logistical equipment (e.g., turnstiles, rental car trackers,navigational devices, inventory monitors, etc.); and so forth.

The site network devices 208 can include physical or virtual switches,routers, and other network devices. Although the site 204A is shownincluding a pair of site network devices and the site 204B is shownincluding a single site network device in this example, the site networkdevices 208 can comprise any number of network devices in any networktopology, including multi-tier (e.g., core, distribution, and accesstiers), spine-and-leaf, mesh, tree, bus, hub and spoke, and so forth.For example, in some embodiments, one or more data center networks mayimplement the Cisco® Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)architecture and/or one or more campus networks may implement the Cisco®Software Defined Access (SD-Access or SDA) architecture. The sitenetwork devices 208 can connect the endpoints 206 to one or more edgenetwork devices 142, and the edge network devices 142 can be used todirectly connect to the transport networks 160.

In some embodiments, “color” can be used to identify an individual WANtransport network, and different WAN transport networks may be assigneddifferent colors (e.g., mpls, private1, biz-internet, metro-ethernet,lte, etc.). In this example, the network topology 200 can utilize acolor called “biz-internet” for the Internet transport network 160A anda color called “public-internet” for the Internet transport network160B.

In some embodiments, each edge network device 208 can form a DatagramTransport Layer Security (DTLS) or TLS control connection to the networkcontroller appliance(s) 132 and connect to any network control appliance132 over each transport network 160. In some embodiments, the edgenetwork devices 142 can also securely connect to edge network devices inother sites via IPSec tunnels. In some embodiments, the BFD protocol maybe used within each of these tunnels to detect loss, latency, jitter,and path failures.

On the edge network devices 142, color can be used help to identify ordistinguish an individual WAN transport tunnel (e.g., no same color maybe used twice on a single edge network device). Colors by themselves canalso have significance. For example, the colors metro-ethernet, mpls,and private1, private2, private3, private4, private5, and private6 maybe considered private colors, which can be used for private networks orin places where there is no NAT addressing of the transport IP endpoints(e.g., because there may be no NAT between two endpoints of the samecolor). When the edge network devices 142 use a private color, they mayattempt to build IPSec tunnels to other edge network devices usingnative, private, underlay IP addresses. The public colors can include3g, biz, internet, blue, bronze, custom1, custom2, custom3, default,gold, green, lte, public-internet, red, and silver. The public colorsmay be used by the edge network devices 142 to build tunnels to post-NATIP addresses (if there is NAT involved). If the edge network devices 142use private colors and need NAT to communicate to other private colors,the carrier setting in the configuration can dictate whether the edgenetwork devices 142 use private or public IP addresses. Using thissetting, two private colors can establish a session when one or both areusing NAT.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a diagram 300 showing the operation ofOMP, which may be used in some embodiments to manage an overlay of anetwork (e.g., the network architecture 100). In this example, OMPmessages 302A and 302B (collectively, 302) may be transmitted back andforth between the network controller appliance 132 and the edge networkdevices 142A and 142B, respectively, where control plane information,such as route prefixes, next-hop routes, crypto keys, policyinformation, and so forth, can be exchanged over respective secure DTLSor TLS connections 304A and 304B. The network controller appliance 132can operate similarly to a route reflector. For example, the networkcontroller appliance 132 can receive routes from the edge networkdevices 142, process and apply any policies to them, and advertiseroutes to other edge network devices 142 in the overlay. If there is nopolicy defined, the edge network devices 142 may behave in a mannersimilar to a full mesh topology, where each edge network device 142 canconnect directly to another edge network device 142 at another site andreceive full routing information from each site.

OMP can advertise three types of routes:

-   -   OMP routes, which can correspond to prefixes that are learned        from the local site, or service side, of the edge network device        142. The prefixes can be originated as static or connected        routes, or from within, for example, the OSPF or BGP protocols,        and redistributed into OMP so they can be carried across the        overlay. OMP routes can advertise attributes such as transport        location (TLOC) information (which can similar to a BGP next-hop        IP address) and other attributes such as origin, originator,        preference, site identifier, tag, and virtual private network        (VPN). An OMP route may be installed in the forwarding table if        the TLOC to which it points is active.    -   TLOC routes, which can correspond to logical tunnel termination        points on the edge network devices 142 that connect into the        transport networks 160. In some embodiments, a TLOC route can be        uniquely identified and represented by a three-tuple, including        an IP address, link color, and encapsulation (e.g., Generic        Routing Encapsulation (GRE), IPSec, etc.). In addition to system        IP address, color, and encapsulation, TLOC routes can also carry        attributes such as TLOC private and public IP addresses,        carrier, preference, site identifier, tag, and weight. In some        embodiments, a TLOC may be in an active state on a particular        edge network device 142 when an active BFD session is associated        with that TLOC.    -   Service routes, which can represent services (e.g., firewall,        distributed denial of service (DDoS) mitigator, load balancer,        intrusion prevent system (IPS), intrusion detection systems        (IDS), WAN optimizer, etc.) that may be connected to the local        sites of the edge network devices 142 and accessible to other        sites for use with service insertion. In addition, these routes        can also include VPNs; the VPN labels can be sent in an update        type to tell the network controller appliance 132 what VPNs are        serviced at a remote site.

In the example of FIG. 3 , OMP is shown running over the DTLS/TLStunnels 304 established between the edge network devices 142 and thenetwork controller appliance 132. In addition, the diagram 300 shows anIPSec tunnel 306A established between TLOC 308A and 308C over the WANtransport network 160A and an IPSec tunnel 306B established between TLOC308B and TLOC 308D over the WAN transport network 160B. Once the IPSectunnels 306A and 306B are established, BFD can be enabled across each ofthem.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example diagram of an integrated workflow 400 forestablishing a site-to-cloud connection between a cloud and a branchsite using a network controller in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure. In some examples, integrated workflow 400 comprisesone or more cloud service providers 402A, 402B, and 402C (collectively,402), SDWAN gateway 406 at SDCI provider 404, access provider 406,virtual networks 412 (e.g., VRFs) at branch site 410, and SDWANcontroller 414 where connections between cloud service providers 402,SDWAN gateway 406, and SDWAN controller 414 are established via API 416.

In some instances, examples of the virtual networks in cloud serviceproviders 402 can include, but are not limited to, virtual privateclouds (VPCs) hosted by Amazon Cloud or Google Cloud, virtual networks(VNets) hosted by Azure, or any type of virtual network that can beprovided by a cloud service provider.

Furthermore, in some examples, examples of virtual networks at branchsite 410 can include, but are not limited to, Virtual Routing andForwarding (VRFs) or any other virtual routing domain/network.

SDWAN controller 414 can dynamically control and manage resources ofcloud service providers 402 and SDCI provider 404 in a single integratedworkflow 400 to connect one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPCs orVNets) in cloud service providers 402 with virtual networks 412 (e.g.,VRFs) at branch site 410.

Furthermore, integrated workflow 400 can automate a BGP routingconfiguration to propagate routes or prefixes to allow communicationbetween endpoints and/or devices in branch site 410, SDCI provider 404,and/or one or more of cloud service providers 402, and/or betweenendpoints and/or devices in one or more virtual networks or routingdomains (e.g., VPCs, VNets, VRFs, etc.) hosted by branch site 410 and/orone or more of the cloud service providers 402.

In some instances, SDWAN controller 414 can control and manage a networkpath from branch site 410 to an edge router instantiated in SDCIprovider 404, and further to virtual networks in cloud service providers402.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example display of a dashboard 500 for managingend-to-end connectivity in accordance with an embodiment. In someembodiments, dashboard 500 can be an initial page that provides anoverview of a network controller's (e.g., SDWAN controller 414 in FIG. 4) management and control system. For example, dashboard 500 can providean overview of the entire system including all the connections,gateways, SDCI providers, and cloud service providers.

In some examples, cloud tab 502 provides a list of cloud serviceproviders (e.g., cloud service providers 402 in FIG. 4 ). Also,interconnect tab 504 provides a list of available interconnect providers(e.g., SDCI providers 404 in FIG. 4 ). For a particular SDCI provider,the initial page of dashboard 500 can provide details relating to theSDCI provider such as a region, an account name, an interconnect gatewayname, devices, connections, last resource state, an account ID, aninterconnect gateway ID, or last update time.

In some examples, dashboard 500 further comprises setup stage 506,discover stage 508, manage stage 510, and intent management stage 512.Details regarding each stage are further discussed below with respect toFIGS. 6-9 .

In some instances, setup stage 506 provides interconnect account detailssuch as an interconnect provider (e.g., SDCI provider 404 in FIG. 4 ),an account name, a description, a user name, and/or a password. In someexamples, a network controller (e.g., SDWAN controller 414 in FIG. 4 )can internally make an API call (i.e., a call to a server using APIs) tothe interconnect provider (e.g., SDCI provider 404 in FIG. 4 ) tovalidate credentials of the interconnect account details.

Each interconnect provider can have one or more different types of APIs.The network controller (e.g., SDWAN controller 414 in FIG. 4 ) canaggregate data relating to every type of APIs into a common intra-typesolution so that multiple APIs, regardless of types, can be managed by asingle network controller.

In some embodiments, setup stage 506 can provide various locations,regions, or partner ports that are available for each SDCI provider,which is associated with a user's account. An interconnect gateway(e.g., SDWAN gateway 406 in FIG. 4 ) can be brought up to establish aconnection at those available locations.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example display of an interconnect global settingstage 600 in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure. Insome examples, interconnect global setting stage 600 comprisesdeployment properties such as software image 604, instance size 606,interconnect transit color 608, and BGP ASN 610 for interconnectprovider 602. For example, software image 604 includes a list ofavailable SDWAN images for SDWAN cloud service routers in theinterconnect providers (e.g., SDCI provider 404 as illustrated in FIG. 4). Software image 604 can be used to bring up the interconnect gateway(e.g., SDWAN gateway 406 as illustrated in FIG. 4 ) as a default optionif a custom setting is not chosen. Also, instance size 606 can include alist of flavors of virtual machine (VM) instance properties, forexample, which can be broadly classified as small, medium, and large.Users can choose instance size 606 based on a number of virtual centralprocessing units (vCPUs), memory, and bandwidth. Furthermore,interconnect transit color 608 is a SDWAN tunnel color, which can beused to bring up a site-to-site connection between two interconnectgateways brought up in an interconnect provider (e.g., SDCI provider 404as illustrated in FIG. 4 ). A bidirectional forwarding direction (BFD)session can be formed over the specific tunnel interface. Also, BGP ASN610 is an autonomous system number configured on the interconnectgateway (e.g., SDWAN gateway 406 as illustrated in FIG. 4 ) as a defaultoption when connectivity to cloud is provisioned.

Such global settings can simplify future deployment and use of theparticular interconnect provider when a gateway is to be instantiated.In some instances, global settings can be overwritten when an individualgateway needs to be adjusted. Also, the network controller (e.g., SDWANcontroller 414 in FIG. 4 ) can apply the common parameters across everySDCI provider associated with the same account.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example display of a tag stage 700 in accordancewith some examples. In some instances, under a discover stage (e.g.,discover stage 508 in FIG. 5 ), parameters for the resources on thecloud side (e.g., cloud service providers 402 in FIG. 4 ) can bedetermined. Such parameters can include, for example, a cloud region, anaccount name, a host virtual network (e.g., VPC, etc.) name, a hostvirtual network (e.g., VPC, etc.) tag, an interconnect status (e.g.,enabled or not), an account ID, and/or a host virtual network (e.g.,VPC) identifier (ID).

In some examples, one of the parameters that can be determined under thediscover stage is a concept called “tag.” As shown in FIG. 7 , tag stage700 comprises tag name 702, region 704, selected virtual networks (e.g.,VPCs) 706, an option for enabling an interconnect connectivity 708, etc.A plurality of virtual networks can be grouped into a “tag.” The tagallows the interconnections and application of global policies for thedistinct virtual networks, which could have different requirementsand/or constraints imposed by the different cloud service providers. Forexample, multiple virtual networks (e.g., VPCs, VNets, VRFs) can betagged into a logical group. When a connection is brought up from abranch site (e.g., branch site 410 in FIG. 4 ) to a tag, the connectionenables traffic to flow from the branch site to the tag includingmultiple virtual networks. In particular, tagging across differentregions can simplify configuring interconnections between the virtualnetworks on the cloud side and the branch site.

In some instances, virtual networks in the branch site (e.g., VRFs) canbe grouped into a “tag” in a similar manner. For example, multiplevirtual networks (e.g., VRFs) in the branch site can be tagged into alogical group so that the traffic can flow from the tag in the branchsite to cloud service providers via the connection between them. In someexamples, a tag(s) corresponding to one or more virtual networks in thebranch site can be mapped to and/or associated with a tag(s)corresponding to one or more virtual networks on one or more cloudservice providers. In some cases, one or more virtual networks in thebranch site and one or more virtual networks on one or more cloudservice providers can be grouped into a same tag.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example display of stage 800 for creating andmanaging an interconnect gateway in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure. In some examples, the network controller (e.g.,virtual networks 412 in FIG. 4 ) can manage interconnect gateways, e.g.,routers that are brought up in the SDCI provider (e.g., SDCI provider404 in FIG. 4 ). For example, the network controller can establish aninterconnect gateway (e.g., SDWAN gateway 406 in FIG. 4 ) in an SDCIprovider (e.g., SDCI provider 404 in FIG. 4 ) to establish across-connectivity between the interconnect gateway in the SDCI providerand one or more clouds (e.g., virtual networks in cloud serviceproviders 402 in FIG. 4 ).

In some examples, creating and managing an interconnect gateway on stage800 comprises determining, for a particular interconnect provider 802,one or more parameters including gateway name 804, description 806,account name 808, location 810, Universally Unique Identifier (UUID)812, and setting 814 (e.g., by default or customized). In some examples,UUID 812 can be a chassis ID that can be selected by a user.

Furthermore, in some instances, once all the parameters are determined,an API (e.g., API 416 in FIG. 4 ) can be invoked to create and configurean SDCI gateway (e.g., SDWAN gateway 406 in FIG. 4 ) within the SDCIlocation (e.g., SDCI provider 404 in FIG. 4 ). Pane 816 on the left sideof stage 800 provides a graphical representation of creating andmanaging an interconnect gateway. For example, pane 816 can visualizeconnectivity between the interconnect gateway and virtual networks incloud service providers and connections between the branch site and thecloud service providers. In some instances, pane 816 can auto-populate,based on the configuration information, the visualization ofconnectivity between the interconnect gateway and virtual networks incloud service providers and connections between the branch site and thecloud service providers.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example display of stage 900 for creating andconfiguring connectivity between an SDCI provider and a cloud serviceprovider in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure. Insome examples, stage 900 for creating and configuring connectivitybetween an SDCI provider (e.g., SDCI provider 404 in FIG. 4 ) and acloud service provider (e.g., cloud service providers 402 in FIG. 4 )comprises virtual interface (VIF) type 902, location 904, bandwidth 906,direct connect gateway 908, settings 910, segment 912 (e.g., VPN orVRF), attachment 914, or virtual network (e.g., VPC) Tags 916. Segment912 refers to a number of segments to reach a particular cloud resourcefrom the branch site. In some examples, an SD-WAN design can be based onthe use of VPN or any other tunneling protocol to segment the routingtable. For example, segment-300 means that a user has a VPN 300 set upon the SDWAN router in the branch site, which also refers to the size oftraffic that is allowed to reach the particular cloud resource.

In some instances, each SDCI provider has an entry point into cloudservice providers with a different speed, functionality, etc., availablefor a particular location or region.

In some examples, connection pane 918 can auto-populate and visualizethe logical representation of the connection from the branch site to thecloud service providers and the cross-connectivity between the networkgateway in the SDCI provider and the cloud service providers. In someexamples, an individual connection can be visualized separately for eachgateway.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example diagram of a workflow 1000 for connectingSDCI provider 1006 and cloud service provider 1008 via SDWAN controller1004 (e.g., Cisco vManage) for user/operator 1002 in accordance withsome examples of the present disclosure. Even though workflow 1000 inFIG. 10 involves single connectivity with a single API call, multipleconnectivity can be managed and controlled in a similar manner asdescribed in workflow 1000.

As a single network controller (e.g., SDWAN controller 1004) can controland/or manage the entire system including resources in SDCI providers,cloud service providers, and branch site, steps for configuring multipleconnections within the system can be simplified. In some examples, SDCIprovider 1006 can create site-to-site connections (e.g.,cross-connectivity) at step 1016. The direct Layer 2 connection from aninterconnect gateway (e.g., connectivity gateway 1012) to a cloud onrampor another interconnect gateway can be called a Virtual Cross Connect(VXC). Based on the creation of VXC and VXC response, an underlay withinan SDCI provider fabric can be established.

In some instances, a virtual interface can be used to connect SDWANrouter 1010 in SDCI provider 1006 to connectivity gateway 1012 in cloudservice provider 1008. Once the virtual network interface (VIF) has beenattached to connectivity gateway 1012 in cloud service provider 1008, aBGP session can be established between the interconnect gateway in SDCIprovider 404 and connectivity gateway 1012. This establishes underlayconnectivity from the interconnect gateway to connectivity gateway 1012in cloud service provider 1008 via SDCI fabric. The virtual networks(e.g., VPCs 1014 or VNets) in cloud service providers 1008 areassociated to the necessary cloud service provider gateway constructs(e.g., Transit Gateway/Virtual Private Gateway in AWS, Express RouteGateway/Virtual Network Gateway in Azure) based on the type of aconnection (private, public or transit). Also, the interconnect gatewaycan be associated and attached to connectivity gateway 1012 where theVIF has been attached. SDWAN controller 1004 can manage and configurethe routing table and prefix advertisements to and from the virtualnetworks (e.g., VPCs 1014 or VNets) in cloud service providers 1008.

In some examples, at step 1018, SDWAN controller 1004 can create cloudconnectivity based on a response from cloud service provider 1008regarding resources available for connection in cloud service provider1008.

In some instances, at step 1020, SDWAN controller 1004 can configurevirtual networks (e.g., VRFs) on SDWAN router 1010 in SDCI provider1006. Once all the connections are established and configurations arevalidated, SDWAN controller 1004 can provide the status of everyconnection within the system.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1100 for controlling andmanaging resources both in SDCI providers and cloud service providersvia a single network controller and further connecting virtual networksin a branch site to virtual networks in the cloud service providers inaccordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

Although example method 1100 depicts a particular sequence ofoperations, the sequence may be altered without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure. For example, some of the operations depictedmay be performed in parallel or in a different sequence that does notmaterially affect the function of method 1100. In other examples,different components of an example device or system that implements themethod 1100 may perform functions at substantially the same time or in aspecific sequence.

In some examples, a network controller can establish a network gatewayin an SDCI provider at step 1110. For example, SDWAN controller 414 inFIG. 4 can establish a network gateway in SDCI provider 404 in FIG. 4 .

In some instances, at step 1120, the network controller can establish across-connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCI provider andone or more clouds. For example, SDWAN controller 414 can establish across-connectivity between SDWAN gateway 406 in SDCI provider 404 andthe one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPCs, VNets, etc.) in cloudservice providers 402 as illustrated in FIG. 4 .

Furthermore, the connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCIprovider and the one or more clouds can be established via an API. Forexample, the connectivity between SDWAN gateway 406 and the one or morevirtual networks (e.g., VPCs or VNets) in cloud service providers 402can be established via API 416 as illustrated in FIG. 4 .

In some examples, the network controller can group one or more virtualnetworks in the one or more clouds and one or more virtual networks in abranch site into a tag at step 1130. For example, SDWAN controller 414can group one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPCs or VNets) in cloudservice providers 402 and one or more virtual networks 412 (e.g., VRFs)in branch site 410 into a tag as depicted in FIG. 4 . In some instance,such grouping into the tag can be based on one or more characteristicsassociated with the one or more virtual networks in the one or moreclouds and the one or more virtual networks in the branch site. Forexample, virtual networks can be grouped as a tag based oncharacteristics such as region, account, application, or proximity toconnectivity gateway.

In some embodiments, the network controller can establish a connectionbetween the one or more virtual networks in the one or more clouds andthe one or more virtual networks in the branch site using the tag atstep 1140. For example, SDWAN controller 414 can establish a connectionbetween the one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPCs or VNets) in cloudservice providers 402 and virtual networks 412 (e.g., VRFs) in branchsite 410 using the tag as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some instances, theconnection between the one or more virtual networks in the one or moreclouds and the one or more virtual networks in the branch site is basedon the cross-connectivity between the network gateway in the SDCIprovider and the one or more clouds. For example, the connection betweenthe one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPCs or VNets) in cloud serviceproviders 402 and virtual networks 412 (e.g., VRFs) in branch site 410can be based on the cross-connectivity between SDWAN gateway 406 in SDCIprovider 404 and the one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPCs or VNets)in cloud service providers 402 as depicted in FIG. 4 .

Furthermore, in some examples, the connection between the one or morevirtual networks in the one or more clouds and the one or more virtualnetworks in the branch site is based on an automated BGP routingconfiguration. For example, the connection between the one or morevirtual networks (e.g., VPCs or VNets) in cloud service providers 402and virtual networks 412 (e.g., VRFs) in branch site 410 can be based onautomated BGP routing configuration.

In some examples, the connection between the one or more virtualnetworks in the one or more clouds and the one or more virtual networksin the branch site can be established via an API. For example, theconnection between the one or more virtual networks (e.g., VPC or VNet)in cloud service providers 402 and virtual networks 412 in branch site410 can be established via API 416.

In some examples, the network controller can standardize one or moreparameters associated with the SDCI provider. For example, SDWANcontroller 414 in FIG. 4 can standardize one or more parametersassociated with SDCI provider 404. Such parameters can determineattributes of the network gateway (e.g., SDWAN gateway 406 in FIG. 4 ).Some examples of the parameters can include a software image, a BGPautonomous system number (ASN), a size of a virtual network, aninterconnect transit color, among others.

In some examples, during the gateway creation, users do not have toconfigure parameters for each individual interconnect gateway onceglobal settings have been defined. For example, the network controller(e.g., SDWAN controller 414 as illustrated in FIG. 4 ) can automaticallyapply these settings during the interconnect gateway instantiation.

In some instances, multiple SDCI providers can offer differentapproaches to creating connections. While some SDCI providers canmandate the primary and secondary connection in the same flow, in someexamples in accordance with the present disclosure, standalone orredundant connection can be allowed through the workflows. When multipleconnections are being brought up between a given interconnect gatewayand different cloud service providers, the process of BGP ASN assignmentand IP Pool addressing can be automated.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example computing system 1200 includingcomponents in electrical communication with each other using aconnection 1205 upon which one or more aspects of the present disclosurecan be implemented. Connection 1205 can be a physical connection via abus, or a direct connection into processor 1210, such as in a chipsetarchitecture. Connection 1205 can also be a virtual connection,networked connection, or logical connection.

In some embodiments computing system 1200 is a distributed system inwhich the functions described in this disclosure can be distributedwithin a datacenter, multiple datacenters, a peer network, etc. In someembodiments, one or more of the described system components representsmany such components each performing some or all of the function forwhich the component is described. In some embodiments, the componentscan be physical or virtual devices.

Example system 1200 includes at least one processing unit (CPU orprocessor) 1210 and connection 1205 that couples various systemcomponents including system memory 1215, such as read only memory (ROM)1220 and random access memory (RAM) 1225 to processor 1210. Computingsystem 1200 can include a cache of high-speed memory 1212 connecteddirectly with, in close proximity to, or integrated as part of processor1210.

Processor 1210 can include any general purpose processor and a hardwareservice or software service, such as services 1232, 1234, and 1236stored in storage device 1230, configured to control processor 1210 aswell as a special-purpose processor where software instructions areincorporated into the actual processor design. Processor 1210 mayessentially be a completely self-contained computing system, containingmultiple cores or processors, a bus, memory controller, cache, etc. Amulti-core processor may be symmetric or asymmetric.

To enable user interaction, computing system 1200 includes an inputdevice 1245, which can represent any number of input mechanisms, such asa microphone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture orgraphical input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech, etc. Computingsystem 1200 can also include output device 1235, which can be one ormore of a number of output mechanisms known to those of skill in theart. In some instances, multimodal systems can enable a user to providemultiple types of input/output to communicate with computing system1200. Computing system 1200 can include communications interface 1240,which can generally govern and manage the user input and system output.There is no restriction on operating on any particular hardwarearrangement and therefore the basic features here may easily besubstituted for improved hardware or firmware arrangements as they aredeveloped.

Storage device 1230 can be a non-volatile memory device and can be ahard disk or other types of computer readable media which can store datathat are accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flashmemory cards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks,cartridges, random access memories (RAMs), read only memory (ROM),and/or some combination of these devices.

The storage device 1230 can include software services, servers,services, etc., that when the code that defines such software isexecuted by the processor 1210, it causes the system to perform afunction. In some embodiments, a hardware service that performs aparticular function can include the software component stored in acomputer-readable medium in connection with the necessary hardwarecomponents, such as processor 1210, connection 1205, output device 1235,etc., to carry out the function.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example network device 1300 suitable forperforming switching, routing, load balancing, and other networkingoperations. Network device 1300 includes a central processing unit (CPU)1304, interfaces 1302, and a bus 1310 (e.g., a PCI bus). When actingunder the control of appropriate software or firmware, the CPU 1304 isresponsible for executing packet management, error detection, and/orrouting functions. The CPU 1304 preferably accomplishes all thesefunctions under the control of software including an operating systemand any appropriate applications software. CPU 1304 may include one ormore processors 1308, such as a processor from the INTEL X86 family ofmicroprocessors. In some cases, processor 1308 can be specially designedhardware for controlling the operations of network device 1300. In somecases, a memory 1306 (e.g., non-volatile RAM, ROM, etc.) also forms partof CPU 1304. However, there are many different ways in which memorycould be coupled to the system.

The interfaces 1302 are typically provided as modular interface cards(sometimes referred to as “line cards”). Generally, they control thesending and receiving of data packets over the network and sometimessupport other peripherals used with the network device 1300. Among theinterfaces that may be provided are Ethernet interfaces, frame relayinterfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, andthe like. In addition, various very high-speed interfaces may beprovided such as fast token ring interfaces, wireless interfaces,Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSIinterfaces, POS interfaces, FDDI interfaces, WIFI interfaces, 3G/4G/5Gcellular interfaces, CAN BUS, LoRA, and the like. Generally, theseinterfaces may include ports appropriate for communication with theappropriate media. In some cases, they may also include an independentprocessor and, in some instances, volatile RAM. The independentprocessors may control such communications intensive tasks as packetswitching, media control, signal processing, crypto processing, andmanagement. By providing separate processors for the communicationsintensive tasks, these interfaces allow the master CPU 1304 toefficiently perform routing computations, network diagnostics, securityfunctions, etc.

Although the system shown in FIG. 13 is one specific network device ofthe present technology, it is by no means the only network devicearchitecture on which the present technology can be implemented. Forexample, an architecture having a single processor that handlescommunications as well as routing computations, etc., is often used.Further, other types of interfaces and media could also be used with thenetwork device 1300.

Regardless of the network device's configuration, it may employ one ormore memories or memory modules (including memory 1306) configured tostore program instructions for the general-purpose network operationsand mechanisms for roaming, route optimization and routing functionsdescribed herein. The program instructions may control the operation ofan operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. Thememory or memories may also be configured to store tables such asmobility binding, registration, and association tables, etc. Memory 1306could also hold various software containers and virtualized executionenvironments and data.

The network device 1300 can also include an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), which can be configured to perform routingand/or switching operations. The ASIC can communicate with othercomponents in the network device 1300 via the bus 1310, to exchange dataand signals and coordinate various types of operations by the networkdevice 1300, such as routing, switching, and/or data storage operations,for example.

For clarity of explanation, in some instances the present technology maybe presented as including individual functional blocks includingfunctional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps orroutines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardwareand software.

Any of the steps, operations, functions, or processes described hereinmay be performed or implemented by a combination of hardware andsoftware services or services, alone or in combination with otherdevices. In some embodiments, a service can be software that resides inmemory of a client device and/or one or more servers of a contentmanagement system and perform one or more functions when a processorexecutes the software associated with the service. In some embodiments,a service is a program, or a collection of programs that carry out aspecific function. In some embodiments, a service can be considered aserver. The memory can be a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

In some embodiments the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, andmemories can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit streamand the like. However, when mentioned, non-transitory computer-readablestorage media expressly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals,electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.

Methods according to the above-described examples can be implementedusing computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwiseavailable from computer readable media. Such instructions can comprise,for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purposeprocessing device to perform a certain function or group of functions.Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network.The computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries,intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, orsource code. Examples of computer-readable media that may be used tostore instructions, information used, and/or information created duringmethods according to described examples include magnetic or opticaldisks, solid state memory devices, flash memory, USB devices providedwith non-volatile memory, networked storage devices, and so on.

Devices implementing methods according to these disclosures can comprisehardware, firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety ofform factors. Typical examples of such form factors include servers,laptops, smart phones, small form factor personal computers, personaldigital assistants, and so on. Functionality described herein also canbe embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality can alsobe implemented on a circuit board among different chips or differentprocesses executing in a single device, by way of further example.

The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computingresources for executing them, and other structures for supporting suchcomputing resources are means for providing the functions described inthese disclosures.

Although a variety of examples and other information was used to explainaspects within the scope of the appended claims, no limitation of theclaims should be implied based on particular features or arrangements insuch examples, as one of ordinary skill would be able to use theseexamples to derive a wide variety of implementations. Further andalthough some subject matter may have been described in languagespecific to examples of structural features and/or method steps, it isto be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claimsis not necessarily limited to these described features or acts. Forexample, such functionality can be distributed differently or performedin components other than those identified herein. Rather, the describedfeatures and steps are disclosed as examples of components of systemsand methods within the scope of the appended claims.

Claim language or other language reciting “at least one of” a set and/or“one or more” of a set indicates that one member of the set or multiplemembers of the set (in any combination) satisfy the claim. For example,claim language reciting “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of Aor B” means A, B, or A and B. In another example, claim languagereciting “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C”means A, B, C, or A and B, or A and C, or B and C, or A and B and C. Thelanguage “at least one of” a set and/or “one or more” of a set does notlimit the set to the items listed in the set. For example, claimlanguage reciting “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of A or B”can mean A, B, or A and B, and can additionally include items not listedin the set of A and B.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of validating packet forwarding in amulti-cloud environment, the method comprising: identifying one or morenetwork hops across a multi-cloud environment; determining acorresponding flow label for the one or more network hops, thecorresponding flow label being separate from a segment identifier;validating packet forwarding of the one or more network hops using atleast the corresponding flow label and a validation test packet;determining one or more additional network hops across the multi-cloudenvironment to be validated based on the validation of the one or morenetwork hops; and validating packet forwarding for the one or moreadditional network hops.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thevalidating further comprising: generating a validation data packetincluding the corresponding flow label and a segment routing headeridentifying a Segment Identifier list (SID-list); sending the validationdata packet through a first network hop of the one or more network hops;receiving a response data packet from a second network hop of the one ormore network hops; and determining the result of the validation processas one of (1) successful packet forwarding from the first network hop tothe second network hop when the response data packet includes aconfirmation message, or (2) failure of packet forwarding from the firstnetwork hop to the second network hop when the message does not includethe confirmation message.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein determiningone or more additional network hops across the multi-cloud environmentto be validated further comprising: adding the second network hop if theresult of the validation process is the successful packet forwardingfrom the first network hop to the corresponding second network hop. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein validating the packet forwarding for theone or more additional network hops, further comprising: selecting anetwork hop of the one or more additional network hops to yield aselected network hop; generating corresponding data packet for theselected network hop; receiving a response data packet in response tosending the corresponding data packet to the selected network hop; andvalidating packet forwarding of the selected network hop based on theresponse data packet.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein thecorresponding data packet includes a path instruction of a previousnetwork hop of the selected network hop; and the response data packetincludes a path instruction of the selected network hop, an identifierof one or more next hops of the selected network hop and a correspondingflow label for each of the one or more next hops of the selected networkhop.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein validating the packet forwardingof the selected network hop further comprising: generating a validationdata packet for validating packet forwarding of the selected network hopto each of the one or more next hops of the selected network hop, thevalidation data packet including the corresponding flow label and thepath instruction of the previous network hop of the selected networkhop; sending the validation data packet through the selected networkhop; receiving a response data packet from a corresponding next hop ofthe selected network hop; and validating the packet forwarding of theselected network hop based on the response data packet.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more network hops are one of a router or aswitch for routing data plane traffic of an IPv6 network using segmentrouting.
 8. A system of validating packet forwarding in a multi-cloudenvironment, the system comprising: at least one processor; at least onememory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least oneprocessor, causes the at least on processor to: identify one or morenetwork hops across a multi-cloud environment; determine a correspondingflow label for the one or more network hops, the corresponding flowlabel being separate from a segment identifier; validate packetforwarding of the one or more network hops using at least thecorresponding flow label and a validation test packet; determine one ormore additional network hops across the multi-cloud environment to bevalidated based on the validation of the one or more network hops; andvalidate packet forwarding for the one or more additional network hops.9. The system of claim 8, wherein the validating further comprisinginstructions which when executed causes the at least one processor to:generate a validation data packet including the corresponding flow labeland a segment routing header identifying a Segment Identifier list(SID-list); send the validation data packet through a first network hopof the one or more network hops; receive a response data packet from asecond network hop of the one or more network hops; and determine theresult of the validation process as one of (1) successful packetforwarding from the first network hop to the second network hop when theresponse data packet includes a confirmation message, or (2) failure ofpacket forwarding from the first network hop to the second network hopwhen the message does not include the confirmation message.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein determining one or more additional networkhops across the multi-cloud environment to be validated furthercomprising instructions which when executed causes the at least oneprocessor to: add the second network hop if the result of the validationprocess is the successful packet forwarding from the first network hopto the corresponding second network hop.
 11. The system of claim 8,wherein validating the packet forwarding for the one or more additionalnetwork hops, further comprising instructions which when executed causesthe at least one processor to: select a network hop of the one or moreadditional network hops to yield a selected network hop; generatecorresponding data packet for the selected network hop; receive aresponse data packet in response to sending the corresponding datapacket to the selected network hop; and validate packet forwarding ofthe selected network hop based on the response data packet.
 12. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the corresponding data packet includes apath instruction of a previous network hop of the selected network hop;and the response data packet includes a path instruction of the selectednetwork hop, an identifier of one or more next hops of the selectednetwork hop and a corresponding flow label for each of the one or morenext hops of the selected network hop.
 13. The system of claim 12,wherein validating the packet forwarding of the selected network hopfurther comprising instructions which when executed causes the at leastone processor to: generate a validation data packet for validatingpacket forwarding of the selected network hop to each of the one or morenext hops of the selected network hop, the validation data packetincluding the corresponding flow label and the path instruction of theprevious network hop of the selected network hop; send the validationdata packet through the selected network hop; receive a response datapacket from a corresponding next hop of the selected network hop; andvalidate the packet forwarding of the selected network hop based on theresponse data packet.
 14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or morenetwork hops are one of a router or a switch for routing data planetraffic of an IPv6 network using segment routing.
 15. At least onenon-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which whenexecuted by at least one processor, causes the at least on processor to:identify one or more network hops across a multi-cloud environment;determine a corresponding flow label for the one or more network hops,the corresponding flow label being separate from a segment identifier;validate packet forwarding of the one or more network hops using atleast the corresponding flow label and a validation test packet;determine one or more additional network hops across the multi-cloudenvironment to be validated based on the validation of the one or morenetwork hops; and validate packet forwarding for the one or moreadditional network hops.
 16. The at least one non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the validating furthercomprising instructions which when executed causes the at least oneprocessor to: generate a validation data packet including thecorresponding flow label and a segment routing header identifying aSegment Identifier list (SID-list); send the validation data packetthrough a first network hop of the one or more network hops; receive aresponse data packet from a second network hop of the one or morenetwork hops; and determine the result of the validation process as oneof (1) successful packet forwarding from the first network hop to thesecond network hop when the response data packet includes a confirmationmessage, or (2) failure of packet forwarding from the first network hopto the second network hop when the message does not include theconfirmation message.
 17. The at least one non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining one or moreadditional network hops across the multi-cloud environment to bevalidated further comprising instructions which when executed causes theat least one processor to: add the second network hop if the result ofthe validation process is the successful packet forwarding from thefirst network hop to the corresponding second network hop.
 18. The atleast one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, whereinvalidating the packet forwarding for the one or more additional networkhops, further comprising instructions which when executed causes the atleast one processor to: select a network hop of the one or moreadditional network hops to yield a selected network hop; generatecorresponding data packet for the selected network hop; receive aresponse data packet in response to sending the corresponding datapacket to the selected network hop; and validate packet forwarding ofthe selected network hop based on the response data packet.
 19. The atleast one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, whereinthe corresponding data packet includes a path instruction of a previousnetwork hop of the selected network hop; and the response data packetincludes a path instruction of the selected network hop, an identifierof one or more next hops of the selected network hop and a correspondingflow label for each of the one or more next hops of the selected networkhop.
 20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 15, wherein the one or more network hops are one of a router or aswitch for routing data plane traffic of an IPv6 network using segmentrouting.